OpenCart v1.5.0 RC1

Yes the alpha theme you attached is soooo nice. The beta/RC theme is nice too but in my opinion the header buttons remind me of 1.4.x. and it is a bit cluttered. Like the previous user said, serious shop owners will customize the template to their liking either way.

What I mainly like about the alpha theme is that it has letter clutter in the sense that it is easier to look at. You read from top to bottom. The new header design (the "mega menu") is very nice as well. The large banner of the laptop/free shipping sign is intelligently placed to grab the user's attention.

op_user wrote:Yes the alpha theme you attached is soooo nice. The beta/RC theme is nice too but in my opinion the header buttons remind me of 1.4.x. and it is a bit cluttered. Like the previous user said, serious shop owners will customize the template to their liking either way.

What I mainly like about the alpha theme is that it has letter clutter in the sense that it is easier to look at. You read from top to bottom. The new header design (the "mega menu") is very nice as well. The large banner of the laptop/free shipping sign is intelligently placed to grab the user's attention.

I totally agree, that's the same thing I thought.

Xsecrets wrote:I know you guys are working through the bugs quickly and they are in SVN, but please do at least a forum only RC2 release before pushing it to the download area as stable, because I know something will slip through this first round.

I also agree.

I haven't read every post, but I did search every page for the word "demo".

Have you guys set up a demo store with version 1.5? If so, I can't find the link.

Daniel

you mean this file.

Thats the one!

The beta/RC theme is nice too but in my opinion the header buttons remind me of 1.4.x. and it is a bit cluttered.

I agree. +1

the current design is not set in stone. if i can think of one better before all the bugs are complete I will change it. maybe i will start a thread with all the mockups i have done.

Sounds great!

Is it not possible to release BOTH templates so users have a choice on layout? Then at least everyone wont be running with exactly the same template?

asphole wrote:Is it not possible to release BOTH templates so users have a choice on layout? Then at least everyone wont be running with exactly the same template?

I think you forgot that this is only a RC? so why would you need two templates, like Daniel said, you should not use it on your live shop? When 1.5.0 will be released to its final version, then you can make your own, or perhaps customize then default one?.

I'm fully aware its an RC release but I'm just asking why does it have to be just one template in the final release? Not everybody will want to heavily mod a template or have the skills/money to do so. If Daniel already has 2-3 templates then why not include them?

Whilst I am perfectly capable of creating a new template, I know a lot of shop owners who aren't, and as Daniel will no doubt be pushed from pillar to post over what to include in the final template then why not just release a couple and everybody is happy.

glenns wrote:

Qphoria wrote: I dislike the breadcrumbs in the box personally but do like the refine search one. Also I think the bullets for refine search should be arrow images rather than the default dot

Yer , the breadcrumb box is subjective, its looks ok on some views but wrong on others, overall I like it , but think I would re-do it for my own templates with additional graphics.

I've added the arrows to the refine search bit , take a look , used the image from the categories box.

http://cart.ezpage.co.uk/index.php?rout ... ry&path=34

I agreed and tried to add it to the core theme... . Daniel was not in favor of it and reverted it.

Great work and what a step forward in terms of functionality ! I think Opencart is no longer a solution for small online businesses exclusively and seem to develop really quickly. Good designs, solid base, relatively low time consuming fixes and extensions (which means lower overall costs for the store owner ) and what's the most important, ease to maintain, will make OC more and more important player on the market.

Have you noticed an increasing interest in creating professional templates for OC ? Just have a look at the recent template of the new guys at TF - I do not know what they smoke in Bulgaria but it has to be good and since they are very successful, I am sure more great themes are to come .

On the other hand I am sad seeing the themes there, as I hate TF for ripping the authors off and would prefer to have the templates offered at opencart.com .I know that one of the forum's guys works on competitive platform but I do not think he will make it alone...hopefully, you will be able to support each other as TF is a really well established business ( that's why they abuse their market power) . IMO , significantly improved Opencart's commercial extenion dpt. (it's a mess now) should be another awaiting and quite urgent work for D&Q as there is some real good money to be made if 'the game' was well-played . And no one but you can get it successful without involving large sums of money spent on marketing - think about it as it's the 'last minute' to introduce changes, TF is still pretty weak with Opencart but it just started to turn around, do not let the money slip off your hands.You have earned them, do not let TF benefit of your hard work for nothing, they will make hundreds of thousands,if not millions $$$ without making their hands dirty.


With regards to the design - I love draft of the 1.5RC template .Guys, please do not fall into a trap, similarity to 1.4.x is not always bad. 1.4.x's design was very,very good - it was just the impression caused by number of hours spent with the default template making you think, that it was boring and in need to change to high extent. From the customer's perspective - there are so many online stores based on so many different platforms with so many products that even if every single store with Opencart looked exactly the same , there was very little chance that average Internet shopper would pop in on the very similar store very often.Secondly, you will use custom templates anyway ....

Daniel and Q have now officially been given legend status!

I'll be honest and say i have held off building my empire as i knew 1.5.0 would be something special and while i know that it is still RC and the bugs are currently being squished, i know that i am going to be able to build upon a platform that is solid and robust.

Bring on the long nights, designing and hairloss

Thank you to everyone involved, you all get the upmost of praise from me..

I think the design looks great and there is no need to add additional code which affects the load time. I wish the there was an option to make the category view "grid" default instead of "list".

who thinks that on the cart page I should add a tabs system for shipping & taxes estimator, reward points, discount coupon, gift vouchers?

the cart page is getting very cluttered.

Qphoria wrote:http://dev.opencart.com

If that's a link to a demo cart, I'm not finding anything there.

Daniel wrote:who thinks that on the cart page I should add a tabs system for shipping & taxes estimator, reward points, discount coupon, gift vouchers?

the cart page is getting very cluttered.

Having the Shipping estimator and the Discount box on the Cart Page is confusing, I would like to see it on the Checkout page.
You could also have the Shipping estimator "popping-up" as a box module on the right site as soon as there is something on the Cart.

This you could do the same with the Compare module, just a box "popping-up" as soon as there is a product selected to be compaired.

Daniel

the cart page is getting very cluttered.

Indeed, keep it simple! Stick to the motto less is more

Also, assuming that not everyone will make use of the Shipping estimator, Shop-owner should have the ability to turn off the feature in Admin panel. Is it possible to implement?

I would like to see it on the Checkout page.
You could also have the Shipping estimator "popping-up" as a box module on the right site as soon as there is something on the Cart.

This you could do the same with the Compare module, just a box "popping-up" as soon as there is a product selected to be compaired.

Good idea +1

QNAP wrote:Daniel

the cart page is getting very cluttered.

Indeed, keep it simple! Stick to the motto less is more

Also, assuming that not everyone will make use of the Shipping estimator, Shop-owner should have the ability to turn off the feature in Admin panel. Is it possible to implement?

I would like to see it on the Checkout page.
You could also have the Shipping estimator "popping-up" as a box module on the right site as soon as there is something on the Cart.

This you could do the same with the Compare module, just a box "popping-up" as soon as there is a product selected to be compaired.

Good idea +1

Yes, +1, checkout seems more the right place for all the vouchers,points etc it would allow the customers be more committed than just have the items in the basket.

Qphoria wrote:

glenns wrote:

Qphoria wrote: I dislike the breadcrumbs in the box personally[...]

Yer , the breadcrumb box is subjective, its looks ok on some views but wrong on others[..]

I agreed and tried to add it to the core theme... . Daniel was not in favor of it and reverted it.

I think if each one were wrapped with some additional html element it would make it far easier to apply a nice look to them like wrapping them in an image box. At the moment there's only one repeating element ".breadcrumb a" which could have an image easily applied to background as long as you have a set width for each crumb.

I have a special place in a collapsible header for them and am currently looking for ways to not only overcome the above caveat, but also the best method of placing them in the header to avoid having to edit every module. The idea I have come up with so far is to add the breadcrumbs code to the header controller and pass them directly to the view with new css classes and setting the current breadcrumbs class to .breadcrumbs{display:none};

If anyone has any suggestions for this without jscript / vqmod (trying to be as lightweight as possible), I would greatly appreciate it.

When do you expect it will be officially relased?

Let us know how long we have to wait more.